THE SICKENING FOR OUR NATIONAL SOUL

Sen. Clinton's plan is to use a federal mandate to force every American to buy health insurance. The government will regulate health care, define acceptable health insurance and force every American to buy a plan based on the government established standard. When asked how purchase can be enforced, she told ABC's George Stephanopolous, "we will have an enforcement mechanism . . . you know, going after people's wages."

Indeed, we have a problem in the delivery of health care in our country, says columnist Star Parker. But if we want cheaper and more creatively delivered health care we need less, not more, government. According to Dr. David Gratzer of the Manhattan Institute:

• About half of health care expenditures in 1960 were directly controlled by consumers; today, it's about 15 percent.

• Over the same period in which consumers have relinquished control, per capita health care spending has quintupled.

Beyond the pure economic calculus lies the moral question of individual responsibility and freedom. Our health care ills are symptomatic of our social ills. And our social ills reflect a society where the link between personal responsibilities and costs and personal rights and benefits has been largely severed. More individual freedom, choice, and responsibility in both the delivery and purchase of health care is our only hope, says Parker.

[the problem is that the paying customer, employers, and consumers, us, aren't the same. Subsequently we don't care when a hospital charges 17$ for a Tylenol - it's not our money - hence no price pressure whatsoever. Consumerism and competition work everywhere else to raise service while lowering costs - it would here too - if allowed to.]

READ MORE